


Zero

by Insomniac



Category: Blink-182
Genre: Countdown, First Kiss, M/M, Matt forgets how to exist for ten seconds, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, basically fluff, sometimes snarkiness pays off?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-14 17:51:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13013022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Insomniac/pseuds/Insomniac
Summary: After fulfilling New Year's Eve party obligations, Matt and Mark opt for a quiet night in to ring in the new year.





	Zero

"Well, that was a bust," Mark said, taking off his jacket. His shoulders slumped and his eyes were tired. Matt could tell he was a little grumpy and socially exhausted.

Matt shrugged and closed the door behind him. After hours of obligatory half-hearted greetings and shouting over music while talking to almost every person in every room, it was understandable that Mark was ready to get out of there before the countdown. It was 11:30 by the time they got back to Matt’s place. 

Parties on New Year's Eve could be fun, but Matt thought relaxing could be severely underrated. These events for both of them, especially Mark, meant obligations. They’d been hopping from party to party since 8:00pm, trying to at least make an appearance. 

Matt was still adjusting to this new level of attention since he’d started playing in blink. He didn’t really mind too much — he was never so swamped with it that he couldn’t wander around and do whatever he wanted. He felt for Mark though, who he knew would much rather be sitting at home reading quietly at this point in his life. Despite that, he still had to politely network and keep ties with what seemed like every person in Los Angeles.

‘Such is the burden of a pop punk celebrity,’ Mark would sigh as a joke, even though it was totally true. Matt teased him about it often.

Matt opted to give him some space to decompress, tidying up in the kitchen as Mark sat on his couch and turned on the TV. He didn’t really care what they were doing, as long as he got to hang out with Mark. 

He had thought his adoration of Mark would go away once they started working together, like the magic would fade or something. He was very, _very_ wrong about that. He couldn’t get enough of the guy. They’d been friends for a long time, and Matt had always had a _tiny_  crush on him, but he never thought it would get to the point where his first and last thoughts of every day were of that bassist with an angel’s voice, his best friend whose laugh would light up any room. 

It was under control though. It was fine. He knew how to be diplomatic with his feelings.

"Matthew, come watch the countdown with me," Mark called. Matt smiled at Mark's use of his name. It was small, kind of nothing, just a dumb cute thing Mark did that gave him butterflies.

Matt scanned his fridge for something festive to celebrate with, finding only a couple of cans of Sprite and some sparkling water he'd been stocking for Mark. It would do. 

He brought the drinks back to the living room and placed a few on the table. 

"Been a while since I've had champagne on hand," he mentioned, handing Mark a bottle of sparkling water.

"Wait wait, we gotta save it." Mark declared, setting the bottle on the coffee table in front of them. "Shake it up and do a proper toast,” he said, just as Matt cracked open the top of his Sprite.

“Whoops.” Matt shot him a guilty look and sat next to him.

Mark just grinned and shook his head. 

They watched a few glittery performances and Mark pointed out some technical details of playing broadcasted NYE shows, something he was familiar with. Some TV personalities vamped and tossed airtime to each other, and Matt tried to gauge how drunk they were. A few of them weren’t great at hiding the fact that they were fucking hammered on the job. He couldn’t blame them though. They might as well party if they had to work on New Year’s Eve.

As the announcers got ready to count down, Matt turned to glance at Mark, finding that the other man was already looking at him, biting his lip in thought.

“What?” Matt smirked, giving him a quick once-over. “You wanna kiss me or something?” he quipped over the _Ten_.

 _Nine_.

“Um.” Mark took a beat before continuing.  _Eight_. “Well, since you’re asking... yeah, I kind of do,” he said with a bashful grin, his eyebrows raised in a sort of vulnerable unsaid question. 

 _Seven_.

“Oh.”  _Six_. "Oh, okay.” Matt wasn’t expecting that answer. A scoff, a joke, a dismissal, maybe. 

 _Five_.

“Cool,” he managed to say.

 _Four_.

“So…” 

 _Three_.

Matt realized his response didn’t actually mean anything at all. He tried to formulate an actual reply, but the over-pronounced _Two_... rang through the small, tinny speakers of his television, and there wasn’t any time. He moved closer to Mark.

 _One_.

Mark stared at him, waiting for some kind of indication of what he wanted. Time slowed, and the weight of this one second hung over Matt's head, milliseconds ticking down to the zero point between one day and the next, one month and the next, one year and the next. One type of relationship and the next. His mind quietly whispered  _Zero_ before the countdown broke. He knew what he wanted, and he had to go for it.

_Happy New Year!_

The words propelled Matt into action. He leaned closer, pressing his lips against Mark’s as Auld Lang Syne began to twinkle dully through his living room. His heart flipped when Mark's hands came up to hold his face, lips suppressing a smile as they warmed Matt’s. The bubbling thrill burned a tiny spark in his chest like real champagne. 

Matt pulled back, trying not to make it into a big thing if it wasn't. Just a Happy New Year kiss, he shouldn't expect anything else. 

But when he opened his eyes and saw Mark's grey-blues staring back at him, he knew he’d be thinking about this kiss for the rest of his life. He wanted nothing more than to have Mark's mouth on his again. He’d be remiss to just brush it off.

“Uhm. That was nice.” He breathed a laugh. His eyes darted away from Mark’s.

Mark nodded. “Would you… uh,” he hesitated with a slightly embarrassed smile. “Would you wanna do that again?”

Fluttering excitement bloomed in Matt’s chest. “Well, since you’re asking... yeah, I kind of do,” he grinned.

Mark’s eyes wrinkled at the sides, he beamed before catching Matt's lips in another kiss, slower this time. Both of their smiles relaxed, converging together into a soft and easy chain of kisses.

As Mark’s lips dragged against Matt’s with increased comfort and invitation, Matt gently swept his tongue over Mark’s lip, as if to ask for permission. Mark’s tongue met his in a quiet, tender answer, deepening the connection, keeping it unhurried but sensual. Matt was ecstatic, filled with total bliss.

A flurry of short pings trickled intermittently from either side of the couch, undoubtedly text messages from their friends and family, wishing them each a happy new year.

Mark pulled back gradually, his lips disconnecting from Matt’s. 

Matt was about to complain, but Mark’s mouth landed on his jaw, kissing and biting eagerly. He tilted his head to give better access, sighing at the sensations traveling toward his ear.

"Hey," Mark breathed, low and close.

"Hey," Matt replied, shakier than he would've liked.

"What do you think about this?"

"Hm?"

"Me and you. This." He planted a kiss just below Matt's ear, sending a lightning strike down Matt’s body. 

"Oh, _this_ ," Matt teased, breathless. "This? I like this. I really fucking like this."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. This is— _oh_ ," he interrupted himself as Mark's tongue dragged on his neck, "very, very good. In fact, I... _fuck_." A small bite pinched his skin, and he rushed his words out while he had the chance. “I think we should continue this. Often." 

He was rewarded with a warm laugh that resonated through his head. 

"Me too." Mark faced him again, giving him another strong and dizzying kiss before reaching for the bottle of sparkling water on the coffee table.

Matt knew his addictive personality was kicking in at that moment. He craved the contact and wanted to follow Mark's mouth.

Mark shook the bottle vigorously, then twisted the top open. Bubbling water tamely erupted from under the cap and flooded over onto the couch and Mark's pants. "Happy New Year!" He exclaimed, raising the bottle. His laugh decorated Matt's living room with all the cheer Matt could ever ask for.

Matt made it his resolution to kiss and be kissed by Mark as much as possible in the upcoming year.


End file.
